Eating human flesh or any blood is forbidden by #torah (God's Law). God promises death to those who do it. Life/nephesh is in the blood and the misuse of blood is a terrible sin per Genesis 9, Leviticus 17, and Isaiah 66.

Q: Why did #yeshua (#jesus) say that we will have eternal life if we eat his flesh and drink his blood in John 6:53-58?

A: All men die and their nephesh returns to the earth from which it came. All men, except Yeshua. There is eternal life in Yeshua's blood. When we repent and submit to Him, his blood covers our sins. Yeshua's life is imparted to us by his broken body and shed blood, which is from heaven, not earth. His incorruptible nephesh infuses us. Ours returns to dust, but His carries us onward to God.

When Yeshua said we must eat his body and blood, he didn't mean it literally. He meant it metaphorically, that we must allow his death to become our life.

The life-force of every creature belongs to God. Misappropriating it is a direct sin against God. The earth is the source of all nephesh (life-force/living flesh). When a creature dies, its nephesh must be returned to the earth. When you slaughter an animal for food, you must drain the blood and let it return to the earth from whence it ultimately came.

Consider this interesting, related idea: When Moses poured the water of the Nile on the ground and God turned it to blood, he was predicting the death of Egypt. It was a picture of returning Egypt's nephesh to the earth.

#achareimot
#leviticus 17

SERIES N --- THE EXILE --- LESSON 02

POWER WITHOUT GLORY

NEW KINGS FOR ISRAEL

From 2 Kings 13:13; 14:16, 23-29; 15:8-22

After King Joash of Israel died his son Jeroboam became king. This happened during the fifteenth year of King Amaziah’s reign over Judah. This Jeroboam ruled over Israel for forty-one years and he was as evil as the first Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who led Israel into the sin of idol worship. During his reign, Jeroboam recovered the portion of Israel between Hamath and the Dead Sea, which previously had been lost. This was exactly as Jonah, the prophet from Gath-hepher, had predicted. Adonai saw how bitter Israel’s troubles had become and that there was no one to rescue the nation from its troubles. Adonai had promised that He would not blot out the name of Israel completely, so He gave relief to Israel through King Jeroboam. The other adventures of Jeroboam, including his wars and the way he recovered the lost territory around Damascus and Hamath which at one time had belonged to Judah, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. When Jeroboam died, he was buried with the other kings of Israel. His son Zechariah became king over Israel. Zechariah became king during the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Azariab of Judah, but ruled only six months. He was an evil king, following the wicked ways of his ancestors. He kept up the practice of idol worship in Israel which the first Jeroboam had begun. Before long Shallum the son of Jabesh organized a conspiracy against Zechariah, murdered him at Ibleam and became king. The rest of Zechariah’s adventures are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. With Zechariah’s reign, Adonai fulfilled the promise He had made that three of Jehu’s descendants - his son, his grandson and his great-grandson - would reign as kings over Israel. Shallum came to the throne during the reign of King Azariah (also called Uzziah) of Judah, who had already been king for thirty-nine years. Shallum’s further adventures are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. One month after Shallum began his reign, Menahem, the son of Gad, came to Samaria from Tirzah, murdered Shallum and seized the throne. When the city of Tappuah and its surrounding area refused to accept Menahem as king, he destroyed the city, murdered all of the people of the area and ripped open the women who were expecting babies. Menahem began ruling during the reign of King Uzziah [Azariah] of Judah, who had already been ruling Judah for thirty-nine years. Menahem was evil in Adonai’s sight, continuing to lead Israel in idol worship, as the first Jeroboam had done years before. While Menahem ruled Israel, King Pul [Tiglath-pileser] of Assyria came against the land. Menahem taxed the wealthy men of the land fifty shekels of silver each [about two thousand dollars] and paid Tiglath-pileser about two million dollars to support him as king and leave him alone. So Tiglath-pileser went home and left Israel in peace. Menahem’s other adventures are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. When he died, his son Pekahiah ruled in his place.

COMMENTARY

THE PROSPEROUS DAYS OF JEROBOAM II AND UZZIAH

In the first half of the eighth century B.C. both Israel and Judah enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity unknown since the reign of Solomon, two centuries before. Political changes outside the two kingdoms made this possible. Earlier, the Assyrian ruler Adadnirari had undermined Syrian strength. When he died, Syria was weak, leaving Israel and Judah with little to fear from their age-old enemy. Even more important, Adadnirari’s death began a difficult period in Assyria. His four sons ruled in succession, their reigns crippled by revolt, unsuccessful campaigns, plague and the growth of the rival Urartu Empire. With this decline of surrounding powers, Israel and Judah began to reassert their own strengths. King Jeroboam expanded Israel’s borders into territory lost since the days of David and Solomon. His control spread east into Trans-Jordan, and extended north past Damascus to Hamath. King Uzziah pushed Judah’s borders south to the Gulf of Aqabah, where he rebuilt the port city of Elath. To the west he established forts in Philistine land; to the east he continued his father’s subjection of Edom. These territorial gains enabled the two kingdoms to keep supervision of international trade routes. Luxury goods from Phoenician and Arabian caravan trade brought riches to the land. Jerusalem and Samaria again became centres of commercial wealth and political power.

https://vimeo.com/820276505

Oh my word, it's that day again... you know... the one that begins with "M". ?

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Gevurah of Tiferet

For compassion to be effective and healthy it needs to be disciplined and focused. It requires discretion both to whom you express compassion, and in the measure of the compassion itself. It is recognizing when compassion should be expressed and when it should be withheld or limited. Discipline in compassion is knowing that being truly compassionate sometimes requires withholding compassion. Because compassion is not an expression of the bestower's needs but a response to the recipient's needs. Am I more compassionate with strangers than with close ones? If yes, why? Is the compassion coming from guilt? Does my compassion for others compromise my own needs? Am I helping others at the expense of helping myself? Perhaps the contrary is the case: Does my compassion for my family and close ones overshadow others needs? Is my compassion impulsive and careless? Do I assess the measure of compassion necessary for a given situation? Is it commensurate with the recipient's needs? Can I possibly be hurting him with my compassion? Does my compassion overwhelm others? Is it respectful? Do I give too much or too little? Do others take advantage of my compassionate nature? When I see a needy person do I impetuously express compassion out of guilt or pity without any discretion? Do I commit the "crime" of compassion by helping him with something harmful (give him money to buy a harmful substance etc.)? Do I apply myself to determine this person's needs and help him in the best way possible?

Exercise for the day: Express your compassion in a focused and constructive manner by addressing someone's specific needs.

Change comes to those who are willing to put in hard work and surrender all to Yah.